Less than three months after winning our union vote –and with only a week’s notice– the Science Museum of Minnesota chose to lay off 15 staff in response to claims of financial hardship. All but one of the workers let go on March 14th, 2023 were bargaining unit eligible, and a third had been active organizers leading up to the vote.  

On July 18th, we learned that the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) ruled in our favor on Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) charges we filed opposing the March layoffs! Specifically, the NLRB found that SMM didn't fairly bargain our layoffs, didn't furnish necessary financial information, and engaged in direct dealing with union members by offering them unbargained severance packages.

While this was a huge win for us, six of the union members who lost their jobs accepted reinstatement and were returned to payroll on August 8th, 2023, but are still not fully back to work –essentially existing “on call” without access to the tools and resources to perform the duties outlined in the jobs descriptions they were recalled to –in fact not even initially issued emails, badges, or even returned to benefit status. While the museum claims there is no work for these individuals to perform, there is evidence these duties were moved to roles outside of the bargaining unit and are being performed by managers, contractors, and interns.

It is clear the museum is not bargaining in good faith over the scope, scale, or need for these layoffs despite having received $7 million from the State Legislature for the express intention of rehiring these staff

Tell the Science Museum of Minnesota to fully reinstate and retain the union members whom the NLRB found were illegally laid off this past March.